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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · arm · hide · season · court · pitcher · dip · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — in sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. object — an aim
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. court — for sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of law
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com